Stage

Public Notification of proposed policy statement or regional plan, or variation or changes to these   – commencement of the formal Schedule 1 process that provides either 20 or 40 not less than 40 working days for .

Submissions – submission period of 40 days for proposed policy statements or plans, 20 days for variations or changes.

Submissions close - Council staff produce a summary of decisions requested (SODR), which is publicly notified and further submissions are sought.

Further submissions – 10 working day period for further submissions to be lodged.

Further submissions close - Council staff produce a s42A  officer report which includes an evaluation and recommendation for each submission. The report goes to submitters and  to the hearing panel. 

Hearings – submitters and further submitters who indicated they wish to be heard on their submissions are able  to speak to the hearing panel about  their submission.

Deliberations – the hearing panel considers all the information they have received before making decisions on submissions.

Decisions – Council notifies its  decisions on submissions. The variation or change plan or policy statement is amended per the decisions but retains its   “proposed” status.

Appeals – Any one who made a submission on the plan or policy statement can appeal the decision of the council.  Please note that Section 66 the Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Act 2010 (the ECan Act) has temporarily removed the right of appeal to the Environment Court for regional plan or policy statement decisions notified prior to the expiry of the ECan Act in 2013.  While the ECan Act is in effect, appeals on the NRRP and some other planning documents may only be made on points of law, to the High Court.  Please refer to the ECan Act for further information.

Court Decisions – The Court releases its decisions on appeals and the variation or change is amended as directed.

Operative - Following the resolution of any appeals, the final step in the process is for Environment Canterbury to make the plan or policy statement operative.

Public participation in the Variation or Plan Change process

When a plan or policy statement , or a variation or change to one of these is notified,  any person may make a submission within the specified period  After the closing of submissions, the Canterbury Regional Council will publicly notify the availability of a summary of all decisions requested in submissions (SODR), and will allow a period for further submissions in support of, or in opposition to, those submissions already made. Environment Canterbury will then hold a hearing into all submissions. All submitters giving notice of their wish to be heard will be advised of the hearing. Following the release of decisions by the Canterbury Regional Council, including its reasons for accepting or rejecting submissions, any person who made a submission has a right of appeal pursuant to the Resource Management Act 1991 and the Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Act 2010.